For Whom the Belle Tolls

Lily has lost her patience with a soul, a perpetrator of genocide during his life, but when she emerges from her haze of rage, she finds an attractive demon staring at her. When he speaks, she recognizes him as Fruitbat. They hug each other, and exchange their real names. They make their way to the coffee shop and begin to flirt with each other. Bel tells her of being the general of 85 legions and of his friends who are also part of their Invaders game, like Greg.

They discuss the dynamics between Hell and Heaven, and Bel explains that, unlike mortal souls who will regenerate if harmed, demons can die in the Afterlife and won’t be reborn. Bel is entranced by Lily. He asks about her life before the Afterlife, but she is guarded and provides few details. He changes the subject to their shared game and tells her how he emotionally manipulated Greg into giving him his mother’s famous mulberry pie to compensate for killing him three times. He invites her to trivia night at a pub, to which she enthusiastically agrees.

When they are about to leave, they hug, and Lily makes the misstep of touching the sensitive area of his wings.